Java Security, 2nd Edition

The Security Class

In this section, we’ll look into how the Java VM locates the security provider(s) we want to use. The Security class (java.security.Security) is responsible for managing the set of provider classes that a Java program can use and forms the last link in the architecture of the security provider. This class is final, and all its methods are static (except for its constructor, which is private). Like the System and Math classes, then, the Security class can never be created or subclassed; it exists simply to provide a placeholder for methods that deal with the java.security package.

Earlier, we explained how to add entries to the java.security file to add new providers to the security architecture. The same feat can be accomplished programmatically via these methods of the Security class:

public static int addProvider(Provider provider)

Add a new provider into the list of providers. The provider is added to the end of the internal array of providers.

public static int insertProviderAt(Provider provider, int position)

Add a new provider into the internal array of providers. The provider is added at the specified position; other providers have their index changed if necessary to make room for this provider. Position counting begins at 1.

The notion that these classes are kept in an indexed array is important; when the Security class is asked to provide a particular algorithm for an operation, the array is searched sequentially for a provider that can supply the ...